Winter Prep: The September-October Checklist

Preparing for winter is not a job that starts on the first cold day. September and October are the two months in which everything can be done calmly, in the right order and for less money. In November the same tasks all collide: no chimney sweep is available, deliveries are backed up and stock is thin. Here is the list to work through before the season starts.

1. Order Your Fuel Early

This is the first item and the one that makes the biggest difference. In September and October warehouses are full, the product range is wide and delivery schedules are relaxed. When the weather turns in November demand explodes within days; delivery times stretch and well-seasoned products are the first to sell out.

If buying the whole season at once is too much, at least take enough to cover the first two months. Early buying has another benefit: wood stacked in your own store with airflow keeps drying until you start burning it.

2. Have the Chimney Swept

The flue is the one place you should not enter the season with last year's soot and tar still inside. Over the summer it may also have collected bird nests, cobwebs, leaves and debris, all of which weaken the draught and increase the risk of smoke blowing back into the room.

Book the sweep before the season, ideally during September. In November and December sweeps are fully booked and prices rise. After the clean, check that the flue cap and chimney cowl are in place.

3. Service the Stove

When you bring the stove out of storage, inspect the body, the door and the grate. What to check:

Cracks or holes in the body; broken fire bricks; a sound grate and ash pan; a door hinge and latch that close properly; air controls that move freely. Empty the ash pan, brush the soot from the internal surfaces and, where there is rust, clean it back and touch it up with heat-resistant paint.

If you use a pellet stove, clean the hopper, burn pot and fan, empty the ash box and wipe the sensor surfaces. Accumulated ash and dust are the most common cause of faults in automatic systems.

4. Check the Stovepipe and Seals

The stovepipe is the weakest link in the safety chain. If the pipes are thinning, perforated or rusted, replace them — do not tell yourself they will last one more season. Make sure the joints are sealed and that the sections are fitted in the direction of smoke flow.

Use as few elbows as possible between the stove and the flue; every extra bend weakens the draught. Replace the door gasket if it has hardened or been crushed; a leaking door wastes fuel and creates risk. Keep the horizontal run of pipe as short as you can and give it a slight upward slope towards the flue.

5. Prepare a Dry Storage Area

Storing good fuel badly is the quietest way to throw money away. Wood and coal that get wet lose calorific value, are hard to light, smoke heavily and accelerate tar build-up in the flue.

Set up your storage before the season: raise it off the ground (pallets do the job), cover the top but leave the sides open for airflow, and do not stack tight against a wall. Stack firewood so the cut ends can breathe. Keep coal in a covered, cool area protected from damp.

6. Stock Up on Kindling

Hunting for kindling on the first cold evening is a scene everyone knows. Lay in resinous pine sticks, thin offcuts, dry twigs and paper, and keep them in a separate box somewhere dry.

Good lighting technique saves both smoke and fuel all season: put the larger logs at the bottom and the fine material on top, and use the top-down lighting method. A top-lit fire produces less smoke and leaves less soot in the flue.

7. Test the Carbon Monoxide Alarm

If you already have an alarm, press the test button and fit a fresh battery at the start of the season; many units also have a limited service life, so check the manufacturing date. If you do not have one, make it the first purchase of the season.

Mount it near the bedrooms at roughly breathing height rather than right next to the stove. It is the cheapest and the most vital item on this list.

The September-October Calendar

September

Place the fuel order, book and complete the chimney sweep, prepare the storage area, bring the stove out and inspect it.

October

Replace pipes and seals, install the stove, do a test burn on a calm day, complete your kindling stock and test the carbon monoxide alarm.

A household that finishes this list during September and October is ready when the first cold snap arrives in November. Message us on WhatsApp to plan your fuel order and delivery, and see the current price list below for our products.